‘The Bishop’s Palace Beneath the Lawns: Rediscovering Auckland Castle’
Auckland Castle (now known as Auckland Palace) is widely considered to be one of the North East’s most important medieval residential complexes, a significance amplified by the extensive survival of its medieval parkland setting. Between 2016 and 2025 several excavations by Durham University and The Auckland Project brought a great deal of new information to light that has enhanced the understanding of the site and its significance – not least the discovery of Prince-Bishop Antony Bek’s magnificent early fourteenth century two-storey chapel. It’s been featured on the BBC’s Digging for Britain (twice) and Chanel 5 TV programmes, with post-excavation work to produce a published report is ongoing. This talk will highlight some of these remarkable discoveries and describe how they have transformed our understanding of the medieval Prince-Bishop’s palace at Auckland.
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Dr John Castling is the Auckland Project’s archaeology curator and manages the archaeology of Auckland Palace and its Deer Park, as well as Binchester Roman Fort. He is also an Honorary Fellow in Durham University’s Archaeology Department where academic research on the Roman and medieval archaeology of County Durham. Alongside looking after the Auckland Project’s archaeology he is a passionate advocator of the social and cultural power of community archaeology.
